Mental health nurse accused of having sex with patient is struck off

Samantha Bourton had been a nurse with South Staffordshire and Shropshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.

A Nursing and Midwifery Council fitness to practise committee found that in May 2021 she had sex with “Patient A” and visited him outside her working hours. The experienced nurse had failed to escalate his report of suicidal thoughts.

Miss Bourton was accused of breaching sexual boundaries by sleeping with the patient at where he was housed. The man had informed his social worker about his relationship with the nurse - his care coordinator.

Miss Bourton was said to have admitted in a statement provided to her line manager and later during investigation interviews that she had sexual intercourse with the patient, and visited him on two subsequent occasions at his accommodation.

The NMC declared :”Nurses occupy a position of privilege and trust in society and are expected at all times to be professional and to maintain professional boundaries.”

It added :”The panel finds that a patient was put at risk of physical and emotional harm as a result of Miss Bourton’s misconduct as the patient was a vulnerable mental health patient and she did not report his worsening condition, which included being violent and reporting that he was suicidal.

“It is also the view that for a nurse to have sexual intercourse with a mental health patient under her care itself put the patient at a risk of harm. The panel regarded Miss Bourton’s failure to escalate the patient’s condition as at least in part motivated by her own wish that what occurred on 10 May 2021 should not get out.”

The nurse can appeal the decision.